Not so much my Miami Friend
by Radafa
Summary: Tony confronts Ziva about her Miami friend at the NCIS Christmas party. Another story about the possible identity for Mr. Miami, based on information from Enemies Domestic with some Tiva goodness. This is my first story, please enjoy.


**A/N: So... that is my first attempt at a story, just a little one shot with my idea about Mr. Miami. I hope you all enjoy it. If this goes well, (as in no flames) I might write the other stories going on in my head.**

**Not So Much My Miami Friend**

The office Christmas party was starting to wind down. Palmer was finally tricked into a taxi and Ducky had run out of ballads to sing. Abby and McGee were the only ones still dancing. Well, Abby was doing most of the dancing. Tim was leaning on her more and more and looking at her with droopy eyes. Perhaps that had more to do with the alcohol than being tiered. Gibbs had left hours ago, after a beer with Ducky, to go to his Bourbon, boat and memories.

Tony had had a good time, dancing with Abby, teasing McGee and Palmer and a successful prank involving mistletoe, a trip wire and fake snow. He had one more thing to do, he had being trying all night but never had the chance. But, with things quieting down he finally had an opportunity to talk to his favourite ninja.

"So Ziva, what's this I heard about you going away for the Christmas break?" Tony asked while refilling his cup with punch.

"Yes, I am," Ziva replied shortly while collecting discarded plastic cups and throwing them in the trash, "what are your plans for our days off Tony?"

_So that's how it's going to be_, thought Tony, "That's not the answer I was looking for Zee-vah."

"Well then you can be more specific Toe-nee," Ziva replied in annoyance, she had been anticipating this conversation all week and was not looking forward to it.

He took a long sip of his drink, surprised that no one had spiked it and asked, "Where are you going?"

"Colorado" Ziva said simply.

Tony nodded, "What will you be doing?"

"Skiing," Ziva tossed the last of the cups into the trash with much more force than necessary.

"With who?" Tony's eyebrows narrowed.

Ziva smirked, "I suppose there will be quite a lot of people skiing this time of year."

"Stop deflecting," Tony chucked his finished cup into the garbage with the same force as Ziva.

"Stop interrogating," said Ziva staring into his eyes. Then she broke contact, turned on her heal and started walking towards her desk.

Tony followed, forcing the conversation, "It's what I do. There's no way you're going by yourself. Who are you going with?"

"And it is what I do when it is none of your business Tony," she replied, not looking back at him.

Tony swallowed, time to ask the question that he needed the answer to. "Is it your email friend? The one from Miami?"

"Yes," she said while still not looking at him as she collected her coat and purse.

He has suspected it but he still needed more information, "Who is he?"

Ziva finally looked at him. "A friend," she deadpanned.

Tony rolled his eyes, "I figured that your Miami friend might be a friend. What kind of friend?"

For the first time Ziva faltered for a split second. "I am not sure," she said and started walking towards the elevator.

_Well that was not the answer I was expecting_ he thought, _actually more deflection was always to be expected when trying to get information from Ziva. But this sounded honest. Where to go to next? _

Finally he asked, "Well then where did you first meet him? And don't tell me Miami, it's a large city."

"Fine, Israel," Ziva said in annoyance than added more softly, "My mother introduced us."

_No! Not another old boyfriend from back home!_ Tony's mind started to panic, "When?"

"A long time ago," she replied, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice while jabbing at the elevator button.

They were both silent as Ziva waited for the elevator. Ziva rocked on her heals, willing the elevator to hurry while Tony was looking at the floor, uncomfortable emotions of fear, worry and jealousy sank in his chest.

The door dinged and with a "Merry Christmas Tony." Ziva stepped inside.

His head snapped up. There was one more thing he had to know before she left, to confirm his worst fears.

"Do you love him?"

"Maybe..." she answered with uncertainty in her voice. "But it was a long time ago."

Tony stopped the automatic doors from closing with his hands, his eyes full of pain. "Alright... Ziva, please be careful."

"I can take care of myself," Ziva replied as an automatic response. She looked into his eyes, seeing the hurt and worry as his shoulders slumped and his hands released the elevator door. She could not leave him like that and yanked him into the elevator as the doors started to close.

Tony stumbled in and looked at Ziva with questioning, hurt eyes. Ziva flicked the emergency stop switch and turned to him.

After a pause she asked, "Tony did you know any of your stepmothers?"

Tony opened and closed his mouth a few times, still not quite sure how he ended up in the elevator and if his heart would ever beat properly again. "Sure, I've met some of them. Why?"

Ziva maintained eye contact and asked, "Did you know any of them well?"

"No, Dad always shipped me off somewhere," he replied, still confused. "Where is this going Ziva?"

Ziva looked down at his chest and fidgeted with his tie, "After my mother left Eli, she made a friend, an American soldier, serving with the Canadian peace keepers along the Syrian border... He would visit us when on leave. After his tour ended, he stayed in Israel with Ima, Tali and I."

"So he was..." Tony tried to get out but was not sure what to say. He had only learned about Ziva's broken family a few weeks ago and had not considered the implications of Ziva's mother leaving Eli.

Ziva continued to look down and explained, "Not so much my 'Miami friend' as my mother's. After our mother died, Tali and I returned to Eli. Ima's 'Miami Friend' disappeared. I never thought I would see him again."

"And now?" Tony asked, starting to understand and the weight in his chest starting to lighten.

"When I was in Miami, I stopped to get some coffee. I felt someone watching me."

"Ninja sense," Tony snorted.

Ziva finally looked up and gave him a glare that told him not to interrupt, "Then a man called my mother's name. I turned and there he was, Ima's Miami friend. He thought I was her. After all these years." Now that she could see his face, she was relieved to see that the hurt and confusion were going away.

"And you reconnected," he said. Things were starting to make sense, but not everything. So Tony continued his questioning, "But why the secrecy?"

Looking flustered but maintaining eye contact Ziva questioned back, "What am I supposed to say? I do not even know what to call him, 'my dead mother's boy friend' or 'the man who lived with my mother sister and me for a few years'? I am not even completely sure how I feel about him. It is not like I enjoy talking about my family in the first place."

Tony nodded understanding the awkwardness, "Then why are you emailing him and spending Christmas with him?"

"Well I do not celebrate Christmas..." she started and paused for a moment. "When I was a child he was kind to Tali and I. He makes me remember good things about my mother and sister. Eli stopped him from contacting us with threats. I want to know the man who loved my mother and wanted to be my father. If my mother had not died... Ryan would have been my father. Not Eli. I would have not joined Mossad. I would have not become an assassin. I would have had a completely different life," sadness crossed her face.

Tony knew he could not understand all the pain she would not have gone through if she had had that different life with a loving mother and father that did not teach her to kill or abandon her in terrorist camps. He was amazed that she was being so open with him and that she had given him part of pseudo-daddy's name. _Well __maybe pseudo-daddy was more real daddy than bio-daddy once upon a time_ he thought.

"But then you would have never met me," he said, looking into her eyes and placing a palm on her cheek.

"No, that is one of the good things that have happened," she said, as a smile crept across her face and she placed a hand on his hand on her cheek.

"Just good?" Tony smirked.

Ziva smirked back, looking into his eyes.

Someone banged on the elevator door a floor up. Ziva patted his hand, the moment was over. She flipped the emergency switch. This was a rather long time to use the conference room. _Perhaps there should be a schedule_ she thought. _This talk was not as bad as I thought it would be, actually it was good to tell him_.

The elevator started to move. They stood in comfortable silence for a moment. Until Tony piped in, "If I met any of my stepmoms it would probably be taking them in for public indecency on a naval base," Ziva started to giggle, "or maybe underage drinking."

Ziva was laughing by the time the elevator stopped, Tony felt good to make her laugh. His heat felt like the lead from earlier had been replaced with helium. She had confided in him and then he made her laugh_. Merry Christmas Tony_ he thought with a smile.

The elevator door opened, revealing a stressed Abby.

"You guys! Were you in there the whole time? We tried to take the stairs but Timmy fell! There's no way I'm going down there in these heels!" Abby shouted, looking a little unstable on her platform boots.

"I'll catch you if you fall!" McGee shouted from the stair well. Tony took a look down the stairs and laughed at the young agent, slumped at the bottom of the stairs with his arms outstretched.

"Are you all right McSmashed?" laughed Tony.

The End

**This is customarily the spot to ask for a review. It would be appreciated. Thank you for reading this and Happy Holidays.**


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